but maureen dowd today in "the new york times" and senator susan collins of maine, susan collins of maine, a moderate royce on the republican side of the aisle, expresses some misgivings about ambassador rice, which is a real, i would think, danger sign for her. >> listen, the president is going to get the secretary of state he wants. if he wants susan rice, all the republicans are going to do is waste time and effort unless -- unless they know something that nobody else knows that susan rice was deliberately cooking the books. when she has the intel community sitting next to her saying this is what we will let you say, i think she's pretty good shape. >> i think that's true and i also think they're making her -- they're putting the president in a corner from which it's almost impossible for him not now to nominate her. i think he's wanted her to be secretary of state. you look at all the signs. he seems to have wanted susan rice for this job, leaning in her direction for a while, but he's now in this position where if he doesn't nominate her, he's backing down in the face of what seems t